How To Share Files Between Android Phone And PC

Sharing files between your Android device and computer is very easy – all thanks to the USB cable that mostly comes bundled with the Android phone or tablet. Even if you don’t want to use the USB cable, then there are still other options available using which you can transfer files between both the devices – wirelessly.

The traditional old fashioned way to transfer files between your phone/tablet to your computer is to simply copy the files. This method is still very popular because of its speed. Copying process is done in a jiffy, and large files like videos, music or other media files can be copied within minutes. Once the files are copied, they should automatically appear in your Gallery app. Let’s take a look at all the available options in detail.

Option 1: Copying Files via USB Cable

Use the USB cable that comes bundled with your device (the same cable that you use to charge your phone) and connect it to your Android device and computer. You’ll now be able to see a new drive in your computer. Double click on it and start copying files to and from your device. For those on older Android devices, they will need to pull the notification bar and turn on USB storage option so that your phone is recognized as a mass storage device by your computer.

Now, you might think where should I place the media files? Well, there’s no rule for that, but typically you would like to copy your music files to Music folder and copy your video files to Video or Movies folder.

Option 2: Wirelessly Transfer Files Using AirDroid

If you want to wirelessly transfer files, then AirDroid is your best bet. This free application for Android device can do much more than just simple file transfers. With this app, you can access your phone on your computer, read messages, access contacts, control your phone’s camera via PC, and do much more.

Option 3: Use Cloud Storage

One can always use option 1 or option 2 to copy large files, but what if you want to transfer a small file and even want to keep it synced across your devices? Well, that’s where cloud storage apps step in. Dropbox, Google Drive, Box and SkyDrive have mobile apps for Android platform. In most cases, you must already be using at least one of these cloud storage services, which means all you need to do is to install the app, sign-in and drop your file on the computer and then access it on your phone.

The advantage of cloud storage services is that the sync process is handled automatically – you just need to copy the file to its associated folder and all other devices that are connected to it will soon have that file.

Go ahead, choose any of these options to transfer files between your PC and Android device, as you can’t go wrong with any of them.

Author: Saqib KhanSaqib is a technology writer, contributing news and how-to's. He thinks tech all the time, even when dreaming. Besides writing on ValueWalk, he also writes on Technostarry. You can reach him via Twitter.